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Laman Ismayilova

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An exhibition titled "Uzun Hasan, ruler of Aghgoyunlu State'' has opened its doors to history enthusiasts at Heydar Aliyev Centre.

The exposition offers a fascinating journey through Azerbaijani history. This is the first exhibition dedicated to the ruler of Aghgoyunlu State, Uzun Hasan, Azernews reports.

Through the exhibits, visitors to the centre can learn more about the history of Aghgoyunlu State, founded by the outstanding statesman and commander Uzun Hasan, and about its role in the history of Azerbaijani statehood.

Visitors have the opportunity to get acquainted with many rare exhibits, including those stored in the Istanbul Military Museum (Harbiye Military Museum and Cultural Site Command), which have not yet been showcased outside Turkiye.

Heydar Aliyev Center's Director, Anar Alakbarov, Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli, government, cultural, and public figures, as well as heads of diplomatic missions and honorary guests from Turkiye attended the opening ceremony.

First, footage of National Leader Heydar Aliyev's speech on Uzun Hasan's historical role was shown to the event participants.

In her speech, Director of the Event and Exhibition Organization Department at the Heydar Aliyev Centre Amina Malikova stressed the importance of the exhibition, presented during the Year of Heydar Aliyev, which commemorates the National Leader's centennial.

"The National Leader, Heydar Aliyev, paid special attention to all sciences, especially history, and always advised young people to study history well. The opening of the exhibition "Uzun Hasan, ruler of Aghgoyunlu State," is a historic event," Amina Malikova said.

She noted that nearly 80 exhibits were brought to Azerbaijan for the first time, especially for the exhibition.

"Several of these exhibits underwent restoration and conservation by specialists over the course of several months. As part of the project, a book titled Uzun Hasan, ruler of Aghgoyunlu State, has been prepared in Azerbaijani and English languages, and an animated film has been produced. I'm confident that the exhibition will arouse great public interest," Malikova said.

In his remark, the Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Cahit Bagci, emphasised that this year marks two significant events: the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan's National Leader, Heydar Aliyev, and the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

He expressed gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for implementing the project.

"The exhibition opening is another manifestation of the fraternal ties between Azerbaijan and Turkiye, a remarkable cultural and historical event. The guests of the exhibition, including creative personalities and representatives from various fields, are witnesses to a unique event that will allow us to learn more about the historical heritage," the Ambassador said.

The head of the Yunus Emre Institute in Turkiye Serif Ates expressed his happiness to visit Azerbaijan and participate in the opening of the exhibition dedicated to Uzun Hasan, whose name is inscribed in Azerbaijan's glorious history.

"Over the past year, we have been working together with the Heydar Aliyev Centre on the implementation of this project. Along with our Turkish colleagues, we selected the exhibits for the exhibition. The project epitomizes our fraternal relations, including in the cultural sphere. I would like to emphasize the high level of relations between the heads of our states - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. 'One nation, two states', as the National Leader Heydar Aliyev once said about Azerbaijan and Turkiye. This exhibition will help everyone, especially the youth, learn more about important pages of history," said Serif Ates.

The Head of the Turkish State Archives, Ugur Unal, underlined the significance of implementing the project for the entire Turkic world.

"Our archives house priceless documents and exhibits of historical value, and we are delighted to contribute to the implementation of this project. The commonality of our values and the millions of people we share is a vivid example and serves further collaborative efforts for the benefit of our countries," Unal said.

Next, the guests enjoyed spectacular concert program, featuring the Ensemble of Ancient Musical Instruments led by People's Artist Munis Sharifov, the Mirvari dance ensemble under the direction of Honored Artist Naila Mammadzade, as well as the soloist of the Helikon-Opera Moscow Musical Theater Elnara Mammadova.

Note that this year marks the 600th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the Aghgoyunlu State, Uzun Hasan (1423–1478).

The sections "Uzun Hasan and the Aghgoyunlu State", "Internal and Foreign Policy of the Aghgoyunlu State", "Culture and Art in the Aghgoyunlu State", "Sara Khatun, the first female diplomat in the history of Azerbaijan", "Despina Khatun," and others inform the visitors about Sultan Uzun Hasan and his mother, Sara Khatun, who, as a result of diplomatic negotiations, managed to prevent many wars.

These sections also provide insight into the life of Uzun Hasan's spouse, Despina Khatun, whose beauty charmed everyone.

At the "Internal and Foreign Policy of the Aghgoyunlu State" exhibition, visitors can get acquainted with the policy pursued by Sultan Uzun Hasan and how he managed to turn the Aghgoyunlu State from a small kingdom into a large empire.

The exhibition also features the armor of Uzun Hasan, his son and successor, Yagub Beg, and the weapons of Azerbaijani soldiers of the XV century. It is also possible to see replicas of Uzun Hasan's sword and dagger, stored in a private collection and made according to the technologies of the XV century, items of military equipment of archers of that time.

Moreover, the "Culture and Art in the Aghgoyunlu State" exhibition is given a special place. Here visitors are presented with photo materials reflecting the development of culture, including architecture and art in Aghgoyunlu State and copies of miniatures presented by the Topkapi Palace Museum.

The exhibition also includes exhibits from the Aghgoyunlu period from the collections of the National Museum of Azerbaijani History, the State Art Museum, the National Carpet Museum, the Ganja State History and Ethnography Museum, and the Azerbaijan National Library.

Among the exhibits are the official clothes of the ruler of Aghgoyunlu State, created on the basis of Tabriz miniatures from the 1470s–80s.

Carpets with the image of a rare Tabriz miniature of the 15th century are made especially for the exhibition.

Coins belonging to the Aghgoyunlu State, ceramic samples found during archaeological excavations, and copper objects are showcased as part of the exhibition.

Some information related to the Aghgoyunlu State is provided through multimedia and interactive tools.

Thanks to an interactive map, visitors can get acquainted with the borders of Aghgoyunlu State, trade routes that pass through its territory, cities, and magnificent structures.

A documentary film dedicated to Uzun Hasan was screened in the cinema hall.

The souvenir section attracts the special interest of visitors. Souvenirs dedicated to Aghgoyunlu State, Uzun Hasan, and other interesting samples are presented here.

The exhibition will last until January 17, 2024.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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